SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR TRACKING MEDICAL ITEMS AND IDENTIFYING ITEM CHARACTERISTICS
First Claim
1. A medical article tracking system for reading a data carrier that is attached to a medical article, the data carrier being responsive to electromagnetic energy (EM) of a frequency f1 in response to which the data carrier provides identification data, the system comprising:
- a non-transitory memory with a data base that associates the identification data of a data carrier with data about the medical article to which the data carrier is attached;
a communication unit configured to transmit data;
a metallic enclosure having an internal storage area, the metallic enclosure further having electrically conductive walls that completely surround the internal storage area and any medical article with associated data carrier placed therein, the enclosure having a natural frequency of resonance f2 which is different from f1 and to which a data carrier that is responsive to frequency f1 is not responsive;
a probe disposed at a metallic wall of the metallic enclosure within the metallic enclosure, the probe configured to inject electromagnetic energy of a frequency f1 into the metallic enclosure, wherein the position of the probe in relation to the metallic walls of the metallic enclosure is selected so that reflected EM of frequency f1 within the metallic enclosure is in phase at the probe position to thereby optimize power transfer at frequency f1 into the enclosure;
an active impedance matching circuit coupled to the probe and configured to actively more closely match impedance of the probe to impedance of the metallic enclosure at frequency f1;
a storage device located within the internal storage area of the metallic enclosure configured to receive a medical article with an associated data carrier that is responsive to EM at frequency f1;
a receiving antenna disposed within the metallic enclosure and configured to receive the identification data provided by the data carrier; and
a processor connected to the memory, the communication unit, and the receiving antenna, the processor being programmed to receive the identification data of the data carrier from the receiving antenna, access the memory and compare the received identification data to the data base to locate therein associated data about the medical article to which the data carrier is attached, the processor being further programmed to control the communication unit to transmit the medical article data.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method tracks medical articles and containers by providing a robust electromagnetic (EM) field within an enclosure in which the articles and containers are stored. Respective data carriers, such as RFID tags, attached to each article or container respond to the electromagnetic field by transmitting unique identification data. A data base associates the data carrier identification data with data about the medical articles or containers including type of medicine, size of the dose, and expiration date. A processor notifies a pharmacy when a medical article is received and when removed. The processor also notifies the finance department regarding patient medical articles and administration to update the patient'"'"'s Medication Administration Record. The processor also provides inventory level counts and expiration dates.
26 Citations
33 Claims
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1. A medical article tracking system for reading a data carrier that is attached to a medical article, the data carrier being responsive to electromagnetic energy (EM) of a frequency f1 in response to which the data carrier provides identification data, the system comprising:
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a non-transitory memory with a data base that associates the identification data of a data carrier with data about the medical article to which the data carrier is attached; a communication unit configured to transmit data; a metallic enclosure having an internal storage area, the metallic enclosure further having electrically conductive walls that completely surround the internal storage area and any medical article with associated data carrier placed therein, the enclosure having a natural frequency of resonance f2 which is different from f1 and to which a data carrier that is responsive to frequency f1 is not responsive; a probe disposed at a metallic wall of the metallic enclosure within the metallic enclosure, the probe configured to inject electromagnetic energy of a frequency f1 into the metallic enclosure, wherein the position of the probe in relation to the metallic walls of the metallic enclosure is selected so that reflected EM of frequency f1 within the metallic enclosure is in phase at the probe position to thereby optimize power transfer at frequency f1 into the enclosure; an active impedance matching circuit coupled to the probe and configured to actively more closely match impedance of the probe to impedance of the metallic enclosure at frequency f1; a storage device located within the internal storage area of the metallic enclosure configured to receive a medical article with an associated data carrier that is responsive to EM at frequency f1; a receiving antenna disposed within the metallic enclosure and configured to receive the identification data provided by the data carrier; and a processor connected to the memory, the communication unit, and the receiving antenna, the processor being programmed to receive the identification data of the data carrier from the receiving antenna, access the memory and compare the received identification data to the data base to locate therein associated data about the medical article to which the data carrier is attached, the processor being further programmed to control the communication unit to transmit the medical article data. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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2-12. -12. (canceled)
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23. A method of identifying a medical article by reading a data carrier that is attached to the medical article, the data carrier having a specified operation frequency f1 in response to which the data carrier provides identification data, the medical article being located within an internal storage area of a metallic enclosure, the metallic enclosure further having electrically conductive walls that completely surround the internal storage area and any medical article with associated data carrier placed therein, the metallic enclosure having a natural frequency of resonance f2 which is a frequency other than the specified operation frequency f1 of the data carrier, the method comprising:
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injecting electromagnetic (“
EM”
) energy of a frequency f1 into the metallic enclosure from a location within the enclosure, the injecting location being selected in relation to the metallic walls so that reflected energy of frequency f1 within the metallic enclosure is in phase at the location of injection to thereby optimize power transfer of EM energy at frequency f1 into the enclosure;actively matching an impedance associated with injecting the EM energy into the metallic enclosure to more closely match an impedance of the metallic enclosure at frequency f1; receiving identification data provided by a data carrier located within the internal storage area of the metallic enclosure by means of an antenna disposed within the metallic enclosure; and receiving the identification data of the data carrier from the antenna, accessing a memory having a data base that associates the identification data of a data carrier with data about the medical article to which the data carrier is attached, comparing the received identification data to the data base to locate therein associated data about the medical article to which the data carrier is attached, and transmitting the medical article data. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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Specification